A funny thing happens at food festival tasting events. If you run into people you know, trade text messages or stand in line with strangers, everybody asks each other about their must-try bites. During this year’s Pebble Beach Food & Wine, Jonathon Sawyer made an exceptionally strong showing that generated plenty of buzz at the first Lexus Grand Tasting under the Equestrian Center big top. Within 30 minutes, all signs pointed toward the raised stage where this talented chef from Cleveland twirled beef jerky bucatini to order. The resulting dish combined compelling flavor and flair.

Jonathan Sawyer shaved farm egg yolk bottarga affumicato over pasta at Pebble Beach Food & Wine.

Jonathon Sawyer cleverly called this pasta “Kosher Carbonara.” His plate featured al dente, extruded pasta, which he twirled with savory bits of cured beef, Pecorino, cracked black pepper, chives, and tiny ribbons of farm egg yolk bottarga affumicato. Yes, Sawyer cures and smokes a bar of farm egg yolks to mimic the effects of bottarga. In total, this process that three weeks. The resulting product is well worth the wait. Chef Sawyer allowed people to smell the savory results before shaving vivid yolk onto scintillating pasta, which didn’t even miss traditional guanciale.